A PREMIER JURISDICTION FOR ENDURING GLOBAL WEALTH
Mauritius: A Premier Jurisdiction for Wealth Management
Mauritius has firmly positioned itself as a reliable and forward-looking destination for wealth and asset management. Its distinctive value lies in the synergy of financial stability, legal certainty, strategic positioning and tax efficiency.
What sets Mauritius apart from other international financial centres is its deep-rooted knowledge and connectivity with the African continent, combined with its seamless trade access to emerging markets. The jurisdiction benefits from a bilingual, highly skilled local workforce, and offers a breadth of investment opportunities – from private equity and real estate to global funds and structured products.
Mauritius provides a highly advantageous fiscal environment, with no capital gains tax, no inheritance tax, and competitive corporate tax rates, making it an ideal jurisdiction for building, protecting, and transmitting long-term wealth.
According to the Henley Private Wealth Migration Report 2024, Mauritius is home to approximately 5,100 high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) – ranking 6th in Africa. The millionaire population is projected to grow by 95% over the next decade.
Foundations: Structured Protection
An Alternative for Asset Preservation
Mauritius also offers foundations – versatile legal entities that combine features of companies and trusts, governed by the Foundations Act 2012. Foundations are particularly suitable for wealth management, estate planning, charitable purposes, and corporate holdings, and are favoured in civil law jurisdictions.
Unlike trusts, foundations possess their own legal identity, enabling them to hold assets, enter into contracts, and litigate or be litigated in their own name. Managed by a foundation council rather than trustees, these entities carry out the founder’s intent, whether philanthropic or commercial.
Each foundation must include at least one Mauritius-resident council member, with no restriction on the number of council members. For international operations, foundations may apply for a Global Business Licence (GBL).
Foundations offer cross-border mobility, with provisions for migration into or out of Mauritius. Moreover, confidentiality is guaranteed, as foundation registers held by the Registrar of Foundations are not publicly accessible.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY – FOUNDATION
Trust Structures: Enduring Legacy
Flexible, Confident, and Tax-Efficient
The establishment of trusts in Mauritius is governed by the Trust Act 2001, offering wide-ranging options including discretionary, charitable, protective, and special purpose trusts. These wealth management vehicles are highly valued for the flexibility and protection they offer.
Mauritian trusts are effective tools to shield family assets from commercial risks, expropriation, and exchange controls. Open to both residents and non-residents, trusts in Mauritius are not limited by duration, offering long-term stability.
A key advantage is the confidential relationship between trustees and beneficiaries. Charitable trustsbenefit from tax exemptions, encouraging philanthropic endeavours. Trusts may also migrate across jurisdictions, providing greater flexibility.
By law, each trust must appoint at least one qualified trustee approved by the Financial Services Commission (FSC), with a maximum of four trustees, ensuring oversight and regulatory integrity.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY – TRUST
Mauritius offers a robust and predictable environment for estate planning, supported by tested legal frameworks, fiscal neutrality, and an extensive treaty network.
+ Legal frameworks with firewall protection
Mauritius combines English common law (Trusts) and French civil law (Foundations), supported by the Trusts Act 2001 and Foundations Act 2012. These include firewall provisions to protect assets from forced heirship, divorce, insolvency, or third-party claims.
+ Effective wealth preservation tools
A wide range of structures, including trusts, foundations, family offices, Variable Capital Companies (VCC), and Structured Investment-Linked Insurance (SILIB) that enable tax-efficient wealth transfer across generations, asset ring-fencing, succession planning, and philanthropic initiatives.
+ Fiscal neutrality on wealth transfer
Mauritius imposes no inheritance tax, estate duty, capital gains tax on inherited assets, wealth tax, or withholding tax on offshore trusts. This fiscal neutrality preserves family capital across generations.
+ Extensive treaty network
With over 45 double taxation avoidance agreements (DTAAs) with key jurisdictions (including India, China, France, South Africa, the UK, and UAE), Mauritius enables structured estate holding vehicles that minimise exposure to double taxation on cross-border income and capital gains.
+ Additional Lifestyle and Residency Benefits
Foreign retirees and investors can reside in Mauritius under the retirement scheme (10 years, renewable) or by acquiring approved immovable property (minimum USD 375,000, with residency for dependents). A dedicated “PDS for Senior Living” scheme is also available. Mauritius delivers legal certainty, tax efficiency, international integration, and an exceptional quality of life, making it a leading jurisdiction for structuring and preserving wealth across generations.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY – ESTATE PLANNING
A Growing Hub for Generational Wealth
Tailored Services for High-Net-Worth Families
With the global rise in high-net-worth individuals, Mauritius has emerged as jurisdiction for the establishment of family offices, offering both Single Family Office (SFO) and Multiple Family Office (MFO) licenses since 2016.
To further position Mauritius as a leading centre for wealth and succession planning, the Family Office Licence was introduced under the Financial Services Act 2007. This regime enables high-net-worth families to centralise and professionally manage their global assets and affairs through a regulated structure.
The Financial Services Commission (FSC) may license:
- Single Family Office – serving the affairs of one family
- Multiple Family Office – serving more than one unrelated family
- Overseas Family Office (Single/Multiple) – for offices managed from abroad with qualifying ties to Mauritius
The jurisdiction’s appeal lies in its comprehensive legal and regulatory framework, an efficient banking system, the availability of foreign currencies with free capital flows, and access to a multilingual and skilled talent pool. Mauritius further enhances its offering with tax incentives, including 10-year tax holidays and no capital gains tax – optimising the operational efficiency of family offices.
To qualify:
- SFOs must manage at least USD 5 million, employ one qualified professional, and maintain a physical office in Mauritius.
- MFOs must manage USD 5 million per family, and employ a minimum of three professionals.
In addition to financial management, family offices established in Mauritius enjoy a range of ancillary benefits, such as eligibility for residency and work permits, and access to luxury real estate investment – making it an attractive option for high-net-worth families looking for stability, tax advantages, and lifestyle perks.
Today, Mauritius offers bespoke family office solutions, covering:
- Investment advisory and portfolio management
- Succession and estate planning
- Concierge services
- Strategic philanthropy
- Cross-generational wealth transfer
As Mauritius continues to mature as a private wealth hub, it consistently attracts discerning investors and families from across the globe, seeking a secure, sophisticated, and efficient environment to manage and grow their wealth.
More: https://aacapital.mu/our-products/family-office-licence/
